Child of Chaos: The Untold Stories-trilogy
by Jay Legion
Summary: This is the first in a series of three fics. It tells the untold stories of among others Loki and Fandral. How they once loved the same woman, a Warrior from the past. She is not from Ásgard, nor from any world known. Her name? Machaira. Rating: Kplus. Possibly T later.
1. Machaira

**Hello again. As people seemed to like our first story, we thought we might as well put our other favourite up. Enjoy.**

The young girl looked up and saw one of the young Princes of Ásgarð standing. She graced him with a brief smile and immediately looked sad again.

"May I join you, Machaira?" the prince asked.

"Of course, Your Highness," Machaira said.

"Please, call me Loki," Loki said while sitting down.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"Way too much," Machaira sighed, "But I would not want to bother you with my problems."

"You know, talking about it often helps," Loki said, "So tell me, what is bothering you?"

"Those endless etiquette-lessons for starters," Machaira said with a deep sigh, "Frigga expects me to be a lady, so she sends me every day to Freya."

"Every day? I only have to go to Freya once a week," Loki said surprised.

"I know. However, as I refuse to do as Freya says, we do not like each other at all. We are really driving each other completely mad. I have to go to one of those lessons now, but, well, I really do not want to go."

"Of course not."

"And then there is the matter of my memory."

"Your memory? What is wrong with that?"

"Well, you know, I have a perfect memory. I remember everything that has ever happened to me in full detail. I remember Odin bringing me here when I was three months old. However, from before that… nothing. There are faint flashes of my life before this, but as soon as I try to hold on to them, they are all gone. It is as if someone is blocking my memory on purpose. It feels as if there is a part of me missing. As if I do not know whom I truly am. There is only one thing I know for sure, and that is that I am not from here. That this is not my real family, not my real home. That I am a stranger, trapped in a world where I do not belong."

"Of course you belong here. You are my sister. We are raised together," Loki said.

"No. We might be raised together, but we are not of the same flesh and blood. You and I differ five months. There is no way we can be of the same parents. We do not even look alike," Machaira said.

Loki looked at the girl. She was quite beautiful. She was naturally tanned and muscular, from about his own height. She had wavy silvery blond hair with a braid on one side that ended in two feathers. Her eyes were black with a bright blue gleam and if she wouldn't appear so sad, they would shine like stars.

"True," Loki said, "Thor and I also do not look much alike, but you indeed do not look like either of us."

Machaira nodded and they sat in silence for a while.

"Look, I cannot help you with your memory, obviously," Loki said while he stood up, "But I can try to help you with your other problem."

"How?" Machaira asked standing up too.

"You could skip an entire day."

"No way. Freya will kill me."

"No, she will not. Not literally at least. And besides, if you are not there, she cannot yell at you."

"That is true," Machaira sighed.

"I would like to offer you something you seem to lack," Loki said.

"And what is that?" Machaira asked raising an eyebrow.

"Friendship," the prince said while he held out his hand.

"You want to be friends with me?" the young girl asked surprised.

"I would love to have an actual friend," Loki said and smiled. Machaira smiled too and then laid her hand in his.

"Come on, let us have some fun!" Loki said and dragged his new friend with him.

They spent the rest of the day together having fun. They explored the palace more extended than ever. By the end of the day, they entered the dining hall, laughing, with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Frigga stood up immediately. So did Freya, who was sitting next to the Queen of Ásgarð.

"Machaira! Where have you been all day?" Frigga asked slightly angered.

"Calm yourself, mother," Loki said calmly, "She was with me."

"With you?" his mother asked surprised.

"Yes. We are friends now," Loki said with a smile, "Is that not right, Machaira?"

The girl laughed, "I guess you could say so, Loki."

"Well then," Frigga said, "If that is the truth, than I have no reason to be angry with you. I think it would be best if the two of you would spend as much time as possible together….

Therefore, from now on, Machaira shall only have etiquette-lessons once a week. But, only on one condition. You will have to pay attention and show progress in Freya's lessons."

"Fine," both Freya and Machaira sighed.

"Very well. Now let us have dinner," the Queen said.

For a long time, nothing special happened. But then, one day…

Loki, Machaira, Sif and Thor entered the main hall, having fun as usual. Odin Allfather was sitting on his throne and Frigga was standing next to him. They were having an argument with someone. That someone appeared to be … a giant squirrel.

"I need my guardian, Odin," the squirrel said, "Níðhögg is tearing up Yggdrasill's roots. Soon he will escape his prison. I need her."

"Can you not defeat the monster yourself?" Odin asked.

"Of course not. The Níðhöggr is much bigger than me!" the squirrel answered annoyed.

The two princes stared at the giant squirrel and said simultaneously, "What the heck is that?"

Sif just stared at it. The three of them looked back at their friend, who suddenly had stopped. Her mouth was hanging half-open and she was stammering.

"I … I … I know him," she said.

"You know whom?" Thor asked.

"That squirrel, I have seen him before. I know him."

"How can that be?" Loki asked.

"I … I do not know. M-maybe he is from my life before here."

"Who is he then?" Loki asked.

"He is … he is … my brother," Machaira stuttered.

**So that's it. The first chapter. We hope you like it and please fav/follow and R&R**


	2. The Battle with the Niðhoggr

**First battle scene coming up! It may be not flawless and rather short, but it is only the first. More will follow! We will try to update more frequently, let's say every other week. At any rate, enjoy! :D**

"Your brother? How is _that_ possible?" her best friend asked.

"I do not know. I just had this flash. As if a memory just came back. … His name… is Ratatosk."

The squirrel looked up and they stared at each other. Ratatosk walked down the stairs towards his little sister.

"Do you remember me, Machaira?" he asked.

"I … I think so. You are my brother…. And so is Yggdrasill, but I do not remember him," Machaira said.

"Your memory will slowly return," her brother said, "Odin has blocked your memory, because he wanted you to feel home here."

"That did not really work. I have felt like there was a part of me missing all my life."

"Of course," Ratatosk said, "There was a part of you missing. But now I need you. A monster is threatening our brother. You must defeat it or at least drive it back."

"But how? I do not remember," his sister asked.

"That might be now, but maybe your fingers would remember their strength if they would grasp your swords."

"My swords?"

"Yes, I guess you have also forgotten that. But no matter, we can solve that."

Ratatosk brought forth something that appeared to be wrapped in a wolf fur. He laid it on a table. Machaira walked towards it, faltering holding out her hands. She unwrapped the package.

It revealed two identical swords. Carefully she folded her hands the hafts. Another flash came over her. New memories returned to her mind.

"I remember these…. These are mine, they are me…. Created together with me out of a drop of Order that fell into Chaos…. I am a Child of Chaos," she whispered. Her face changed slightly.

Markings appeared on her face. They were runes. On her left cheek a Kaen appeared. Over her left eyebrow a Naudr appeared. An Isa appeared as a scar right next to her left eye. On her right cheek a Ýr appeared. On the right half of her forehead an Úr appeared. On the right half of her chin, a Raedo appeared and finally a Hagall appeared on her nose. She went with her fingers over her face, feeling the markings.

"I am Seven Runes…" she whispered.

"Yes indeed, and so much more," her brother said softly.

Machaira picked up the swords and remembered her skills. She remembered the wolf fur too. She remembered that she had been wrapped in it when her brother found her. That he had called her 'Little Wolf' when he picked her of the waves of Chaos. Suddenly her outfit changed into a dress with only one strap, made out of the very wolf fur she had been wrapped in as a baby, with a belt around her waist for her swords. Finally, she felt like herself again.

"Machaira…. You look… amazing," Loki said bewildered, "I have never seen you look so much like… you."

"I know…. I have never felt so much like myself before either," his friend said, "I feel like I could… kill an entire army."

"That is not necessary," Ratatosk said, "You only need to defeat or drive back Níðhögg."

Machaira nodded. She was prepared and, perhaps even more important, able to do that.

"Come on then," the giant squirrel said. The Child of Chaos smiled and climbed on his back.

"Do not worry, Allfather," Ratatosk said to Odin, "I will return her as soon as possible if that is what you want."

Odin sighed, "If you really have to…."

Ratatosk ignored the King of Ásgarð and took his sister out of that Realm. Machaira's mouth fell wide open as she saw the biggest ash tree ever. Its roots went deep down into Chaos and its branches reached up high into Order. Nine big branches reached towards the Nine Realms. Ratatosk walked to the stem of the Ash and stopped in front of his hole. Machaira got off his back and laid her hand on the bark. A final flash went through her.

"My mind is complete," she whispered, "I know all that once was forced out of my mind."

She turned to her brother. He looked at her with a twinkling in his eyes.

"You can do it, little one," he said.

Machaira nodded and then she went down. With a breath-taking speed, she jumped from branch to branch until she reached Yggdrasill's roots. There she saw an enormous dragon-like monster that had freed itself half out of his prison. The roots of the World Ash disappeared into Chaos, which waved and flowed continuously. The monster roared, trying to escape the roots of Yggdrasill, but somehow the tree worked against him. Machaira drew her swords and roared at the Níðhöggr, who immediately turned silent. Surprised he looked at the girl.

She gave him a death glare and snarled, "Either you go back in there yourself, or I will make you."

The monster produced a sound that seemed to resemble chuckling and then roared even louder. The warrior girl shrugged and said, "I gave you a choice."

Then she jumped down and slashed with her swords at the Níðhöggr, who recoiled a bit in surprise. Then he attacked. His claws stroke at her, but missed. Again, the young warrior hewed into the monster's paws, this time cutting off three of the five claw fingers of one paw. The monster yelped in pain and hooked one of the remaining claws in the left corner of Machaira's mouth and the other one in her throat, ripping her face and throat open. The girl howled in pain and suddenly her eyes began to glow blue. The markings on her face started to glow in the same colour and then the most miraculous thing happened.

Machaira began to grow, her skin rippled and a white fur appeared, covering her whole body. Her head, arms and legs began to change and she was still growing, until she was about as big as the monster she was fighting. A tail grew and then she roared, louder than ever.

Machaira was a giant Frost wolf, even bigger than an average one, and she was angry. She leaped towards Níðhögg and attacked him ferociously, slashing, hewing and biting. The monster didn't know how fast he had to recoil into his prison, for a frost wolf's claws leave wounds that fill with the coldest ice and its breath creates frost blisters on all that it touches. Yggdrasill closed its roots again and finally the wolf calmed down.

She shrank quickly to her normal size and form again and then collapsed. Before she could fall into Chaos, Ratatosk caught her and carried her to his hole. There he laid her in a bed and took care of her wounds. They healed quickly, but would leave two scars forever.

Hours later, Machaira woke up. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Loki sitting by her bed. She smiled faintly, but immediately distorted her face with pain. Concerned, Loki dabbed her forehead with a cold, wet cloth.

"How are you?" he asked softly.

"I am fine, I guess," Machaira said, but groaned immediately, "No, I am not fine…. My head hurts like hell."

"It is healing nicely," Loki said softly, "You are a little feverish of your wounds, but you will be fine soon."

Machaira smiled weakly and closed her eyes again. She fell asleep, breathing calmly now. Loki smiled and wiped some hair out of her face. He took her hand and caressed it softly.

A couple of hours later her wounds had fully healed. Machaira woke up, to find Loki still by her bedside. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," Loki whispered back

"Have I been asleep for long?"

"Only a couple of hours."

"Oh."

"How are you?" the young prince asked.

"I am fine. My strength has returned," the young warrior answered.

"That is good to hear," Loki smiled.

He helped her out of bed. She stood up, still a little shaky. But soon she managed to stand firm. Loki still was holding her hand. They smiled at each other and Ratatosk brought them back to Ásgarð, just as he had promised.

As they returned to Ásgarð, Machaira was brought before Odin. Loki was still holding her hand and had refused to let go. Odin frowned when he saw the scars on her face.

"You wish to be a guardian?" he said, "Very well then. In one year, when you have turned eighteen, you shall become the guardian of Ásgarð's gates. You shall guard them, but you shall not pass through them. You shall never again leave Ásgarð to endanger your life. The Níðhöggr could have killed you. This is my decree and that you will obey"

Machaira froze. Both she and Loki wanted to protest, but Odin allowed nothing.

**So! That was the second chapter! Any questions about characters or creatures, just ask. We will see if we can answer them. We hope you like it and, as usual, please fav/follow and R&R**


	3. And suddenly everyone loves her

**So we don't really write down every detail of Machaira's life down. It would be rather boring as she is stuck guarding gates where nothing ever happens. At any rate, enjoy and please write reviews. Reviews make us happy and make us update more frequently! ^-^ :D**

Machaira had been guarding the gates for three years now. Nothing ever happened. She would spend all day staring across the Bifröst, talking with Heimdall. With her wolf ears, she could hear most anything and Heimdall, Gatekeeper of the Bifröst, saw and heard all across the Nine Realms. Furthermore, Odin had made it impossible for her to pass the gates by creating a force wall, fearing that she might escape. Day after day, her frustrations grew. Even Loki, who visited her as often as he could, couldn't lessen them. All of this resulted in even stranger events….

As Loki walked to the gates, he saw his dearest friend slamming her fists against the force wall that was keeping her in. She finally seemed to stop, but her left fist was still pressing against the wall. Loki took a deep breath and walked to his friend. He put his right arm around her waist, standing close to her and folded his left hand around her fist. Gently he pulled her arm close and hugged her.

Machaira rested her head on his shoulder and started crying. Loki took her hand and looked at the scratches. They weren't very serious and were healing already.

"It is okay, it is alright. Everything will be fine," he whispered.

"No, it will not!" Machaira cried, "I am stuck guarding these damned gates where nothing ever happens forever!"

"Shhh," Loki whispered and turned her around. She laid her hands on his chest and buried her face in his neck. She sobbed and Loki cradled her slowly in his arms. Minutes passed as they just stood there holding each other, one comforting the other.

After a while, Machaira stopped crying and wiped her tears away. She looked at Loki and smiled sadly.

"Better?" Loki asked.

"Slightly."

"Look, there is something I wanted to tell you," Loki said, "And I have been trying all day to find the courage for it."

"Then just say it," Machaira said with a faint smile.

"Okay then, here it goes… Machaira …, I love you."

"You… love me?" she asked surprised.

"Yes…, and I wanted to know… whether you love me too."

"I… I do not know. I would have to think about it."

"That is okay. Just take your time," Loki said.

"Thanks," Machaira said softly. Loki smiled, kissed her on her forehead and let go off her.

"I will see you around," he said and walked away. Machaira watched him go and sighed.

By the end of the day, she left the gates and went to her friend Sif, the Lady Warrior. She went to walk next to her and sighed.

"Something wrong, Machaira?" Sif asked.

"Yes and no," Machaira sighed.

"Tell me."

"Loki told me something weird today."

"What did he say then?"

"He said that he loved me," Machaira said.

"Oh," Sif said.

"You do not seem to be surprised."

"No. It has been quite obvious for a while now, actually."

"Not to me."

"Of course not. I would be surprised if you had noticed," Sif smiled.

"So what should I do then?" Machaira asked.

"Look inside your heart," Sif said, "Try to find out your feelings for him."

"But how? There are so many feelings in my heart."

"Empty your heart. Clear your mind. Then think of Loki. What comes to mind first, are your true feelings for him."

"Thank you. I will try that tonight. Loki has given me all the time I need."

"Hello Fandral," Sif said as they passed one of the Warriors Three. Fandral stopped, smiled and took a small bow.

"My ladies," he greeted them, "How are you today?"

"Very well, thank you," Sif said.

"You seem troubled, Machaira," Fandral said, "Is there something wrong?"

"Hardly," Machaira said, "It just requires some time to think."

"Oh good, good," the dashing warrior said, "There was something I wanted to tell you…"

"Really?" Machaira said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Fandral said and took her hand, "Machaira, I love you. Your beauty and skills have stolen my heart. Please, tell me whether you love me too."

Machaira shook his hand off and stared at him.

"You too?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'you too'? Who else loves you?"

"Loki. He told me just after noon."

"Really?" Fandral said with a raised eyebrow, "Well, you get an entire day from me to think about it."

He suddenly put his arms around her and tried to kiss her, but Machaira was fast. She twisted his arm and threw him across the hallway. Fandral hit the wall and fell on the ground. He got up and remodelled his hair. The self-assured smile hadn't disappeared off his face.

"Until tomorrow, flower of my heart," he said. Then he left.

Machaira and Sif walked in silence to Machaira's room. When they got there, Machaira dropped herself in a chair. She groaned desperately.

"Now what?" she asked, "Am I now to choose between two of my friends? Surely, if I would pick Fandral, Loki would still be my friend, but the other way around is not very likely. Fandral will be furious if I choose Loki over him. He will never get over it."

Sif sighed, "Yes, men can make life so complicated. Fandral takes pride in it that he can wind all the women of Ásgarð around his finger, except for me. I guess he does not think you are like me. I guess he thinks you are just another heart to conquer."

"I know. I mean, why in the world would Fandral make me choose between friends. It is a horrible thing to do."

"You know, you could also decide not to choose at all," Sif said.

"What do you mean?"

"You could decide to pick neither of them."

"Oh, that would not work either," Machaira sighed frustrated, "Then Loki would still be my friend and Fandral would still be angry with me forever."

Sif sighed, "Oh yes, I forgot about that. I cannot help you, Machaira. As much as I want to, I cannot look inside your heart and decide for you. You have to do that yourself. Decide for yourself."

Machaira nodded, "Well, it is dinner time. I guess you are hungry after a long day of training."

"Yes, I am."

"Then I will see you tomorrow."

"Are you not coming?"

"No."

"Okay, then I will have the servants bring your dinner here," Sif said.

"No, Sif. I am not hungry. I need to think. I need quiet," Machaira said decided. Sif wanted to protest, but when she the look on her friend's face, she kept silent.

"Until tomorrow then," Sif said, "Will I see you for breakfast?"

"Maybe."

"Okay then. Good night, Machaira."

Then Sif left the room. As soon as she closed the door, Machaira jumped up and climbed out of the window. She climbed up the wall and then entered a room with a single door in it.

It was a small room and the only way to get there, was through the window Machaira just entered. The door was made out of gold and beautifully engraved with an ash tree. It was not an ordinary door. It was the passage to her brothers, outside the Realms. No one knew about it but the three of them. Machaira opened the door and found herself standing on a big branch of the mighty Yggdrasill. She walked over it and then laid her hand on the bark of the ash. The tree groaned and soon her brother Ratatosk came running up the trunk.

"Something wrong, dear sister?" he asked.

"Yes, very much," his sister answered. They went to Ratatosk's hole and sat down.

"Okay, tell me," he said.

"Loki and Fandral made me choose between them."

"What do you mean?"

"This afternoon, Loki professed his love for me and by the end of the day Fandral did the same," Machaira explained.

"Oh, I see," Ratatosk said, "So Loki will always be your friend, but Fandral will not. He will never forgive you if you choose Loki."

"Yes. So what do I do?"

"Sleep over it," Ratatosk smiled.

"Sleep over it? That is your great advice?" Machaira asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, of course. Such decisions you should not make too soon," her brother said.

"I know. But that will not make it any easier."

"Just sleep over it. Tomorrow the answer will be clear," the squirrel said.

The girl huffed something, but curled up against her brother.

"Can I pour my heart out to you?" she asked.

"Of course," Ratatosk said.

"Loki makes me smile every time he is with me. He seems to do all that he can to lighten my day. Fandral made me smile too, but long ago. When we trained together. He always wanted to make me laugh. He knew that I was not entirely happy and he tried to make me forget that. However, nowadays, he just an arrogant sot. He is still great, but he loves himself way too much and there are way too much girls who swoon over him, giving him the idea that he is fabulous or so. I agree, he is good looking, he is definitely a charmer and a good warrior too, but I think that is all there is to him. Loki on the other hand, he is so… sweet. He is full of tricks. He knows magic very well and sometimes he has a certain evilness about him that makes so… enigmatic. He seems to adore me. I mean, ever since we became friends, he has done everything to make laugh. He is pretty much the only one in all of Ásgarð who seems to understand me. He… makes me happy."

"Does Fandral make you happy too?"

"Sometimes."

"Well, all I can say is sleep over it," Ratatosk said, "In your heart, you already know the answer. You are just afraid of the consequences."

Machaira mumbled a 'good night,' then closed her eyes and slept. Ratatosk smiled and laid his little sister in bed. Then he went on with his own business.

**And that's all for this night. We hope you liked it and as usual please fav/follow and review. Thanks!**


	4. Decision-time

**First chapter of the year! Please forgive us for these not so good chapters. Sappiness and romantic stuff is not really our forte. At any rate enjoy, and as usual, please fav/follow and review! And a happy New Year to all of you! ^-^ :D**

Early in the morning, Ratatosk woke his little sister up and brought her back to the door to Ásgarð.

"And? Do you know the answer?" he asked. Machaira looked at him, her eyes shining brighter than ever before.

"Yes, I do," she said, "I will tell them this afternoon. They will have to deal with it. If one of them does not like my choice and decides to quit our friendship, then he was not a true friend."

"That is my girl," Ratatosk smiled, "And who is the lucky man?"

Machaira just smiled at him and said, "I will not tell you before I have told him."

Then she went through the door and returned to her bedroom. She quickly jumped into her bed and pretended to have just woken up when the door opened and Sif entered.

"Good morning," Sif said, "Have you slept well?"

"Yes, very well," Machaira said, "You are up early, Sif."

"Yes, I wanted to train a little before breakfast," the Lady Warrior said.

"Just a moment," Machaira said, "I will join you in a minute."

A few moments later, the two warriors walked to the training court and began their warming-up. After that, they fought a couple of friendly duels, each one of them resulting in the same: Machaira beat Sif easily.

"That is not fair," Sif muttered, "You are using your wolf strength."

"Of course I am," Machaira smiled, "I cannot not use it."

"True, but still, it is unfair."

"Ha-ha. I know."

"So…, have you made a decision?" Sif asked.

Machaira raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't understand what Sif was talking about. Then she appeared to remember and smiled.

"Yes, I have. But if you do not mind, I would like to tell them first, before I tell anyone else."

Sif pouted, but had to agree with Machaira's decision. She didn't have much choice. Knowing Machaira as she did, the warrior wasn't going to change her mind any time soon.

After training, the two warriors went to the dining room for breakfast. Both Loki and Fandral looked hopefully at Machaira, but she ignored the lot. She just sat down and ate her breakfast in silence. Both men kept looking at her, in case she would give any sign, but she didn't. Of course she didn't.

Half an hour later, Machaira finished her breakfast and wanted to leave the room again. But Fandral quickly stood up and ran towards her. He grabbed her arm to make her stop, but she shook her arm loose.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"An answer to my question," Fandral demanded.

"Twenty-four hours have not passed yet. Have some patience," Machaira said. Fandral frowned, but let her go. She walked out of the palace and her job of guarding the gates where nothing ever happens began again.

By noon, Loki came to bring her lunch as always. However, today, he was feeling slightly awkward. After all, he had confessed his love for her. Machaira looked over her shoulder and smiled faintly. They sat down and had lunch together. In silence.

"So… now what?" Loki said after a while.

"What do you mean 'now what'?" Machaira asked quirking up an eyebrow.

"I mean, what do we do now? Since you have not decided yet, this feels kind of awkward," Loki said.

"Oh, I see. Well, if it is any conciliation, I have made a decision."

"You have? Mind to tell me?"

"… Sure…, I uhm…, uhm," Machaira said, while she put down her sandwich. She suddenly turned red.

"I decided… uhm…"

She swallowed. "Loki, I love you."

Loki was just about to take a bite out of his sandwich and dropped it.

"You do? You really do?"

"Yes. I think I have known it for quite a while, but well, being a warrior and guard, I needed to put my feelings aside," Machaira said, "But not anymore. I will not keep them out anymore."

"I see. … Can I … kiss you?" Loki asked hopefully.

"Kiss me? I guess…" Machaira said, slightly confuzzled.

_"Oh Gods, she looks so cute now_," Loki thought. Then he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Tenderly he placed his lips on hers. Machaira closed her eyes and answered his kiss. She laid her hand on his cheek. Minutes passed…. When they finally let go off each other, Loki smiled at Machaira. She smiled back. Loki stroked some hair out of her face and kissed her again.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I know," Machaira whispered back, "You told me."

"And I will keep telling you until I stop loving you."

Machaira smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," she said, "Just do not say anything to Fandral yet. I want to tell him myself."

"Of course," Loki said, "I will not say a thing."

"Thank you."

They finished lunch and then they both got up.

"I should resume to my work," Machaira sighed.

"Probably," Loki said and pulled her close, "But not before I have kissed you again and told you how much I love you."

Machaira smiled. "That is one of the reasons I chose you: you always make me smile and forget how much I hate to do this work."

"You are welcome," Loki said with a low and suave voice, and then kissed her. Machaira answered his kiss and put her arms around his neck.

"I love you so much," he said, "I would not know what to do if I would lose you."

"That is so sweet."

"I have to go now, my love. I will see you tonight," Loki said and kissed her one more time. Then he let go and walked away. He looked back and smiled sweetly. Machaira smiled at him, her eyes shining bright like stars and at that moment, she looked more beautiful than ever. Loki's heart made a leap. He wanted to run back, take her in his arms and never let go off her again. He wanted to take her away from those gates and be with her forever.

Machaira had turned around again, facing the gates. If one were to look at her face, one would see the most beautiful, happiest smile in all the Realms. Loki sighed, smiled happily and then returned to the palace, putting on a poker face again. Nobody would find out, not until Machaira would have told anyone.

By the end of another day, Machaira returned to the palace. The first thing she did was finding Fandral. She had to tell him something not very nice. Many girls surrounded Fandral, as usual, but as soon as he saw Machaira, he sent them all off. He stood up and walked over to her, his usual self-assured smile on his face.

"How are you, my beauty?" he asked.

"I am fine, thank you," Machaira said and then sighed.

"Look Fandral, there is something I have to tell you. I … I have decided to pick Loki. Please do not take this wrongly; I like you very much, but as a friend and nothing more."

"A friend? Oh," Fandral said disappointed, "What made you make this decision?"

"I think I have always known it. Loki was my first friend here. My first true friend. He was the first one who truly cared for me. That is why."

"I see…. I understand. We can still be friends right?"

"Of course we can," Machaira smiled sadly.

Then she walked away. Fandral watched her go and sighed. He returned to his girls and seemed to have forgotten all of it immediately.

Machaira went to Loki who, as soon as he saw her, brightened up. He took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. Then he let go again and they smiled at each other.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Machaira whispered back. They kissed again and then just stood there, holding each other. Machaira rested her head on Loki's shoulder. He caressed her gently and rocked her in his arms, whispering sweet words in her ear to make her smile.

**And that's all for this time We hope you liked it and as usual please fav/follow and review. Thanks!**

**P.S. If you guys wish to read stuff from other fandoms, just tell us and we'll see what we can do for you. It'll still be OC, but that is rather because we don't write anything else.**


	5. The Battle with the Múspells

** So this is one of our favourite scenes. We do like our battles^-^ We will try to go and upload weekly.  
Enjoy! :D**

Ásgarð was under attack of the Fire-Jötnar, the Fire giants from Múspellsheim. They were the very opposite of the Frost giants from Jötunheim, but sadly enough, just as dangerous. The Fire giants had come to the same ideas as the Frost giants long ago and now laid siege on Ásgarð.

After several series of attacks, Odin assembled his army, took both his sons, the Warriors Three, Sif and Machaira with him and launched an attack on Múspellsheim. The first day of battle went well for the Ásgarðians and they managed to drive the Fire giants back into their fortress.

"So what do we do now?" Loki asked.

"We get some rest," Odin said, "We need all our strength for the battle tomorrow."

"But if we attack them now, they are defenceless!" Thor said.

"We will not attack them now. They would expect a surprise attack from us," Odin said, "Get some rest. That is an order."

Machaira said nothing. She did not agree with the Allfather, but what could she do? On her own certainly not much. She looked at Loki. He nodded almost invisibly. Machaira nodded back and went to her own tent. A few moments later, Loki came in too. He kissed her tenderly and smiled.

"There is no way we are just going to sleep through this night," he said, "Why would we? We have all the strength we need to defeat them now."

"What do you mean?" Machaira asked.

"We have you. You can sneak inside the fortress and destroy everything from the inside out. You can turn into a Frost wolf and show them your true power!" Loki said excited.

"I do not think that is such a good idea. It is dangerous. And what if I will not be able to transform? Then I will be captured and who knows what they will do to me then?" Machaira said worried.

"You worry way too much. It will be alright," Loki smiled, "But we do need rest. Let us attack at dawn."

Machaira sighed, "There is no reasoning with you when you have got your mind set on something, is there not?"

"Nope, you know me," Loki said while he took his girlfriend in his arms.

Machaira smiled and put her arms around his neck. They kissed each other.

"I indeed know you," Machaira said and then sighed, "Very well then, let us put your plan to work. If it does not work, you are in big trouble."

"Of course. But it will work, you will see."

"Like all your plans?"

"Exactly. Like all my plans."

Machaira smiled and kissed him again. Then they went to sleep.

When the sun came up, Loki and Machaira snuck away out of the Ásgarðian camp. They sneaked to the Fire giants' fortress. Outside the walls, Loki took his girlfriend in his arms one more time.

"We will keep contact by using telepathy. As soon as you turn into a wolf, I will return to the camp and wake the others. In the meantime, I will be right here," he said.

"I know. I will sneak to the centre of the fortress and begin destruction from there to the outside walls. Please do make sure you are long gone before I reach the walls," Machaira said.

"Of course."

The couple kissed one more time and then Machaira climbed over the wall. She quickly found her way through the maze of hallways.

But then…. The moment she entered the main hall, a Fire giant knocked her out cold.

_"Loki!"_ she thought before everything turned dark.

_"Machaira!"_ Loki thought jumping up.

Two hours later, Machaira woke up with a serious headache. She found herself chained with only her arms in the middle of the main hall. Ten feet away from her was a table on which her swords were lying. She groaned.

"Machaira!" Loki cried inside her head, over and over again.

"I can hear you, love," Machaira answered both aloud in a whisper tone and telepathically at the same time.

"What happened?" Loki asked worried.

"They hit me unconscious and chained me to some sort of doorframe, especially built for such a purpose, I suppose. They unarmed me and left two Fire giants to guard me," Machaira whispered.

"Who is she talking to?" one of the Fire giants asked.

"I do not know. Not to us, at least," the other one answered.

Machaira looked up at the shackles around her wrists. She tugged at her bonds and realized that they were too strong to break.

"Can you free yourself?" Loki asked.

"No, I cannot. They will not break. I am sorry. Your plan failed. I failed…. I failed you," Machaira whispered.

"You did not fail, Machaira," Loki said resolute, "You hear me? You did not fail me."

"I hear you…."

"Good. Now listen to me. You are far more powerful than those Fire giants ever can dream to be. You are going to free yourself, understood?"

"How? These shackles are made of their best metals."

"You are a Frost wolf for goodness sake. You are their very opposite," Loki snapped.

Machaira flexed her muscles and growled.

"That is my girl. Keep trying," Loki said calmly.

Machaira snarled and growled, stretching her muscles. Cracks appeared in the shackles. The Fire giants reached for their spears. More cracks appeared and the shackles began to tear apart.

"Come on, keep going," Loki said, encouraging his girlfriend.

"Who are you talking to?" Thor asked suddenly. He had woken up from his brother's talking and came to see what was going on. Then he realized what Loki and Machaira had done and nodded.

"I will not say anything to father, brother," he said.

Loki did not answer, simply nodded and continued to talk to Machaira.

"Come on, break free. You can do it, you can. DO IT!"

Machaira roared. The markings on her face began to glow blue and so did her veins.  
Her eyes glowed too and she howled. With a bang the shackles snapped. She jumped on the ground.

Her swords on the table began to move slightly. Machaira stretched out her hands and the swords flew into her hands. The Fire giants grabbed their spears and attacked the White Wolf.

She growled and swung her swords. Within only a matter of seconds, the two giants lay dead on the ground. More giants entered the room, charging against the raging warrior. She simply began to run, jumped and planted her swords into the ground, creating a shockwave that began to destroy the entire fortress.

"Loki?" Machaira asked arduously.

"Yes, love?" her boyfriend answered.

"RUN!" the White Wolf roared. Loki turned around and fled back to the camp. Thor followed him somewhat confused.

"What is going on, brother?" he asked as they entered the Ásgarðian camp.

"I had a plan to defeat the Fire giants," Loki said, slightly panting, "It worked. Now Machaira is destroying the Fire giants' fortress and all its contents."

"You did what?" Odin asked furiously, "Have you any idea what you have done? She will never stop. Not even when there is nothing left to destroy. She will annihilate all of us, you foolish boy!"

"Do not worry, father," Loki said with a devious smile, "I have a plan, as always."

Odin sighed deeply and went to watch the fortress as it crumbled to pieces. The others joined him. Then they saw one last Fire giant run out of the collapsing building. It was the general of the Fire giants' army.

"I beg you, spare me!" the Fire giant panted, "That monster is destroying everything and everyone. Safe me, please!"

"And why would we do that?" Odin asked calmly.

"I surrender and give up for good if you safe me."

The Allfather frowned. Suddenly he looked up, shaken by extremely loud roaring. Machaira had broken through the wall of the fortress and now came after the Fire giant general.

"I am truly sorry," Odin said, "But I cannot help you. She will not stop until every single Fire giant has met his end. And since you are the last one standing, more or less, she will not stop until you are dead."

The Fire giant looked in despair at the King of Ásgarð, who watched emotionless as the White Wolf slaughtered the last Fire giant. Then everybody slowly began backing off to the Ásgarðian camp. The Frost wolf had destroyed the Fire giants, but would not calm down yet. She wouldn't stop until _everybody_ was dead.

Only Loki had not moved an inch yet. Machaira ran towards the Ásgarðian camp and stopped right in front of Loki, apparently surprised by fact that he had not ran away like the others. She roared right in his face, which made him move a few feet back. Such was the power of her voice alone.

"Are you done?" Loki asked calmly.

Machaira growled in surprise. Loki held out his hand and carefully began to stroke Machaira's head. He moved closer and started whispering things in the White Wolf's ear. The creature didn't move a limb, baffled by the man's audacity. Then she recognized his voice and pricked her ears.  
She then began to calm down. Her body shrank quickly and her fur disappeared. Her tail grew back and her jaws shortened. The wolf vanished and the warrior appeared again.

"That is better, is it not?" Loki asked softly.

"Much better indeed," Machaira said.

"Come on, let us go home," Loki smiled.

Machaira smiled back, but collapsed in his arms, exhausted. Loki lifted her up and carried her back to the Ásgarðian camp.

Machaira remained unconscious for several hours. When she woke up, she was in her own room. Loki was sitting next to her on the bed. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Good. I am fine," Machaira answered.

"That is good to hear," Loki smiled and helped her out of bed, after which they kissed each other tenderly.  
Then they walked down the hall, hand in hand and joined the victory celebration.

**So there's another chapter. After this, we're afraid it gets a bit weird. It's the least favourite part of the story to us... Anyhow. We hope you liked it and as usual please fav/follow and review. Thanks!**

**NB. If you guys would like to read stuff from other fandoms, just tell us and we'll see what we can do for you. It'll still be OC, but that is rather because we don't write anything else.**


	6. The wedding

**This is a bit of an awkward one. It's not as good as we hoped it to be. But we promise after this it willget better. We apologies for uploading so late, but we were kinda busy... Enjoy the story! :D**

Machaira was still stuck guarding the gates of Ásgarð, but now that she had Loki, things were a whole lot easier. He came to her every day as often as he could and at night, they shared their bed. They were still so much in love with each other, that there passed no day that they didn't tell each other that they loved each other. However, one day something changed for good.

"Loki?" Machaira asked.

"Yes?"

"I have to tell you something, love."

"What is wrong, dear?" Loki asked.

"There is nothing wrong, but I have to tell you something, though."

"Then tell me. You are making me nervous," Loki said while he took Machaira in his arms.

"Okay, here it goes…. Loki, you are going to be a father," Machaira said.

Loki's mouth fell open. He blinked bewildered with his eyes.

"A father? Really? That … that is fantastic! When?" he exclaimed.

"I am glad you are so happy with it," Machaira smiled, "It should be eight months. I was so scared that you would not want a baby."

"Are you kidding? Besides you, that is the best thing that ever happened to me!" Loki said excited.

"Thanks, my love," Machaira smiled, "So what do we do?"

"What do you mean, 'what do we do'?" Loki asked.

"What are we going to do with our child? I mean, how are we going to raise it?" Machaira asked.

"Make sure he has a real family to grow up in?" Loki said.

"How?"

"Oh, that is simple."

Loki let go off Machaira and then took her hands.

"Machaira, will you marry me?" he asked.

Now it was Machaira's turn to have her mouth fall open.

"You are serious?"

"Yes, of course. As a married couple, we can put all our time in raising our child together. Then you will not have to stand watch every day anymore. Then we can be a real family. So what do you say?"

"Of course I will marry you. Do not ask such stupid questions, Loki," Machaira smiled.

"Oh good, that is great," Loki said excited and kissed his future bride.

Next, they went to Odin to ask his permission. He was pleasantly surprised.

"You two want to get married? Why that all of the sudden?" he asked.

"Oh well, uhm," Loki said and looked at Machaira, who nodded almost invisibly, "Machaira and I are going to have a baby and we wanted our child to grow up in a real family."

Odin raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh, wonderful!" Frigga suddenly said and jumped up, "My little boy is going to get married! Oh, this is going to be fantastic! There will be a big ceremony and music and a dance–"

"No, mother. We do not want that," Loki said.

"Nonsense. You are a Prince of Ásgarð. You will have a big ceremonial wedding," Odin said, agreeing with his wife.

"But father …."

"I will hear no more. If you want to marry her, then you will do it your mother's way."

"Thank you, darling," Frigga said, "Oh, I have so much to arrange. It will be wonderful."

She quickly left the throne room, calling Freya and whoever else had something to do with marriages. Loki sighed.

"I am sorry, Machaira. I tried," he said.

"It is okay, love. We will just have to get it over with, do we not?" Machaira smiled and took his hand. They left the throne room too, hand in hand.

The big day had arrived. Though he and Machaira had been saying that it wasn't a big deal all the time, Loki still was feeling a little nervous. After all, this was the biggest decision he had made so far in his life. He was pacing through his room, waiting until his brother would come to get him. Then Thor knocked on the door.

"Are you ready, brother?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Loki said and opened the door. He and Thor embraced each other and smiled.

"I never thought this day would come, Loki," Thor said.

"Me neither. Until Machaira came into my life."

Thor laughed. "Okay, let us go."

They walked down and then entered the throne room. Everybody stood up as a greet for the two Princes of Ásgarð. Loki smiled nervously.

"It will be alright, brother," Thor whispered.

"Of course it will," Loki said and they took their places near Odin's throne.

Only a minute later, the doors opened again and Machaira entered, followed by Sif, who for a change was wearing a dark green dress. Machaira was looking absolutely stunning. Her hair was curling and flowing over her shoulders with a deep red kerchief in it, the feathers that usually were in her braid, were now attached to an earring and she was wearing make-up.  
She was wearing a snow white, strapless dress with a light-blue band around her shoulders, light-blue gauze sleeves and long, white, fingerless gloves. Around her waist was a light blue band with a red rose in the middle. She was wearing two golden necklaces, a golden snakelike bracelet around her left upper-arm and a golden bracelet around her left wrist.  
She was wearing white, glass pumps and in her right hand, she had a single white rose. As she saw Loki being stunned, she smiled. At that moment, she looked more gorgeous than ever. Loki smiled back, a little uneasy as he was more nervous than he had ever been before.

Machaira climbed up the stairs and Sif quickly joined Frigga and Freya. Then Machaira went to stand in front of Loki and smiled nervously.

"You look gorgeous," Loki whispered nearly soundless.

Machaira smiled again and whispered, "You too."

Odin cleared his throat and stood up.

"My people, we have gathered here today to join these two young people in holy matrimony," Odin said, "My son, Prince Loki of Ásgarð, the God of Mischief and Machaira Seven Runes, the White Wolf warrior. Anyone who objects to this marriage must speak now or forever hold his tong."

Nobody said a word.

"Very well, then we will proceed with the vows. Loki?"

Loki too cleared his throat.

"I, Loki Odinson, Prince of Ásgarð and God of Mischief, vow that I will love you, Machaira Seven Runes, the White Wolf warrior and the Guardian of the Nine Realms, until the end of my days, that I will protect you, watch over you and take care of you whenever illness strikes and that I will pay dearly if I should ever break any of my vows. That I swear by the Gods and by the Nine Realms."

Machaira smiled sweetly and then opened her mouth.

"I, Machaira Seven Runes, the White Wolf warrior and the Guardian of the Nine Realms, vow that I will love you, Loki Odinson, Prince of Ásgarð and God of Mischief, until the end of my days, that I will protect you, watch over you and take care of you whenever illness strikes and that I will pay dearly if I should ever break any of my vows. That I swear by the Gods and by the Nine Realms."

Now it was Loki's turn to smile. Then they spoke at the same time.

"I am yours and you are mine until death do us part."

"Now you may kiss the bride, my son," Odin said with a proud smile on his face.

Loki took his wife in his arms and kissed her passionately. The crowd cheered and some women discreetly wiped some tears away.

"And now we feast!" Thor shouted suddenly.

That feast lasted a week without any interruptions. Eight months after their wedding, Loki and Machaira had a son. They called him Morayn. From that moment on, Machaira no longer had to guard Ásgarð's gates. Instead, she spent all of her time with her husband and her son.

**This is a bit of a weird one, we agree. But we promise it will get better next time. We hope you enjoyed reading it and please fav/follow and review. Thanks! :D**

**NB. If you guys would like to read stuff from other fandoms, just tell us and we'll see what we can do for you. It'll still be OC, but that is rather because we don't write anything else.**


	7. Sixteen years later

**New chapter, guys! It'll get better now soon, we promise... Enjoy the story! :D**

Sixteen years later…. Morayn was old enough now to look after himself, so Odin ordered Machaira to guard the Gates of Ásgarð again. She of course did not agree, but as Odin was the King of Ásgarð, she had absolutely nothing to say. She could only obey.

That day Loki came to visit her at the gates. She looked up and smiled.

"Hello love," she said.

"Hello dear," Loki said, "Back to guarding the gates, I see."

"Yes…" Machaira sighed.

"Too bad," Loki sighed.

"I know…."

"There is not much left in this marriage, is there?"

"Not really."

"I mean, it is not as if I do not love you anymore…. It is just that we have nothing to be married for."

"I know…."

"So what do we do?"

"I do not know. Ask Odin for a divorce?" Machaira opted.

"That might be the best thing to do," Loki said, "I am glad you came up with that instead of me."

"Why?"

"I asked you to marry me. It would be kind of stupid if I were to be the one to ask to end this marriage."

"I see. You've got a point," Machaira smiled.

"So… care to come along?" Loki smiled too.

"I am working, love. It will have to wait until tonight."

"Right, of course. You are working again. I forgot that for a moment," Loki sighed.

"That is okay. I will see you tonight then, I guess," Machaira said.

"Yeah, until tonight then, love," Loki said and kissed his wife. Then he left again.

By the end of the day, Machaira returned to the palace. Morayn came running towards her and flew into her arms. Her face brightened instantly when she saw her son.

"Mother!" he exclaimed excited, glad to see her again, "Where have you been all day?"

"Did your father not tell you, sweetie?" Machaira asked, "I had to return to work today all of the sudden. A decree of your grandfather. I am sorry I did not tell you, my boy, but Odin told me to return to the gates immediately."

"I am just glad you are back, mother," Morayn said with a smile.

"Let us go to your father," Machaira said, "There is something we have to talk about with you."

"What is it?"

"Did I not say 'we'? That means your father _and_ me, Morayn. Learn to listen."

"Yes, mother."

"That is my boy."

In the meantime, they had arrived at Loki and Machaira's bedroom. Loki opened up immediately with a big smile.

"There are my favourite boy and my favourite woman," he said smiling.

"Hi father," Morayn said enthusiastically.

"Hello love," Machaira said and kissed her husband.

They entered the room and sat down in three big chairs.

"So mother said you two wanted to tell me something?" Morayn said.

"Yes…. Look, Morayn," Loki began, "The only reason why your mother and I got married, is because we wanted you to grow up in a real family. We love each other a lot, but a marriage is just not the perfect way for us to have a relationship."

"I do not understand."

"What your father is trying to say is that we do not want to be married anymore. We still want to be a couple, but we are forced to be together day after day after day. That simply does not work for us."

"You got married just for me?" Morayn asked a little confused.

"Sort of, yeah," Loki said a bit uncomfortable.

"That is kind of sweet, I guess…" his son said.

Machaira smiled.

"So we want to end our marriage, if you are okay with that," she said.

"If you still continue to be my mother and father, than I do not see a problem," Morayn said.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Of course we will still be your mother and father. That will not change. We will just not be a married couple anymore," Loki said.

"So you are okay with it?" Machaira asked.

Morayn nodded.

"Good," Loki said, "Then let us not waste another moment!"

He and Machaira immediately stood up and went to the throne room. Morayn followed at a small distance. Odin was sitting on his throne as usual, in conversation with his wife, Frigga.

"Father…?" Loki began.

The Allfather looked up, surprised to see his youngest son and his wife.

"Loki? What brings you here at this time of day? And you, Machaira?" he asked.

"We have something to ask you, father," Loki said.

"Tell me. What do you wish to know?"

"Well, we do not wish to know something. We would like you to do something for us," Loki said.

"What is it then?" Odin asked.

"We would like you to divorce us."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me well, father," Loki said, "Machaira and I no longer wish to remain married. For our own good and the good of our relationship."

"Why?" Frigga asked.

"Marriage is not the best way for us to keep up this relationship," Machaira said, "It is ruining our life a bit…."

"What do you mean?" Odin asked.

"I am sure you can imagine, father. When people remain married for longer than they can handle, the marriage will make them hate each other and ruin their lives," Loki explained, "That is something we would like to prevent."

"I am sorry, my son," the Allfather said, "I cannot divorce you unless you are actually killing each other."

"Do you not understand that is what we are trying to avoid?" Machaira snapped.

"Machaira…" Loki said cautionary.

"What?" she snarled.

"Do not anger the Allfather…."

"Do not anger the Allfather? Are you serious? I thought I was the one with anger issues here!"

"I know, but father is slightly more powerful," Loki said softly.

Machaira growled softly, but managed to calm herself. Then she turned around and walked away.

"Machaira, where are you going?"

The White Wolf didn't reply and left the throne room. Morayn looked worried at his mother, whose arms were getting covered with white fur.

The Monster Slayer went to the golden door that led outside the Realms. There she shifted shape entirely and roared so loud that the World Ash shivered.

Loki turned around and ran after her, nearly knocking his son over.

"Father! Watch out!" the boy shouted.

"My Gods, are you all right, Morayn?" Loki asked rather startled.

"Yeah, I am fine."

"Good. Did you by chance see where your mother went?"

"She went towards her old room…. But father, she had white fur on her arms. Is that normal?" Morayn asked a little shaken.

"Sometimes…. Wait, did you say white fur?" Loki asked.

"Yeah…. Why?"

"Oh, shit," Loki muttered and ran to Machaira's old room, leaving a quite confused Morayn behind.

He found the White Wolf just before the creature was going to jump down.

"Machaira, wait!" he shouted.

The Frost wolf looked up and snarled. Loki walked towards the monstrous wolf and stroked her gently. She wrinkled her nose and growled.

"It is okay, my love, it is all right," Loki said softly.

The wolf slowly changed back into the warrior and sank down on the big branch of the Yggdrasill.

"What do we do now, Loki?" she asked desperately, "What do we do now?"

"I do not know," Loki sighed, "If the only way for us to split up is by trying to kill each other, then it would almost seem that our relationship is doomed…."

"That is what I am desperate about," Machaira said discouraged, "I love you. I do not want to kill you. Or even try to, for that matter. However, if we have to stay this close, I am going to get urges to kill _myself_. And I am not planning on going to Helheim."

"Of course not," Loki said while he put his arm around his wife and kissed her tenderly, "We will find a way to solve this. Do not worry."

**So now it slowly gets better... ^-^ We hope you enjoyed reading it and please fav/follow and review. Thanks! :D**

**NB. If you guys would like to read stuff from other fandoms, just tell us and we'll see what we can do for you. It'll still be OC, but that is rather because we don't write anything else. We've got over 150 different fandoms, so there's a lot to choose from...**


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